Oblivion (Marvel)
Oblivion is a comic cosmic being who features in Marvel Comics.
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Biography
Oblivion was an abstract being that embodied non-existence and claimed to had predated the Multiverse. (Iceman v1 #3) He stood as an abstract being that stood among the four that made up the universe with his compatriots including Eternity, Infinity, and Death. In order to help sustain the cosmic balance, Oblivion and Infinity agreed to a non-aggression pact. (Quasar v1 #25)
Over time, Oblivion came to crave life, companionship and a sense of fulfilment leading him to create an entire kingdom of countless servants. Despite all his creations though, he never came to feel fulfilled. This was because he longed for a special soul that was closer to him than any servant could ever be to him. Thus, from the deepest part of his being, he drew a fragment of his own self and used it to create a child he named Mirage. However, this 'child' came to be exceptionally strong-willed and longed for independence. Thus, she turned away from him and fled into the world of time. Afraid that Mirage might one day challenge him, Oblivion made plans for her return to his kingdom. (Iceman v1 #3)
Eventually, he tasked his servants White Light and the Idiot to retrieve his 'daughter', who he learned had started a new life for herself on Earth. Upon arriving on Earth, Mirage took on a human form where she began posing as a girl called Marge Smith. She also created parents for herself and took up residence in the house next to Iceman Bobby Drake's ancestral home. When Bobby came to visit his parents, he was immediately taken with her. So much so that when White Light and Idiot arrived to take her back, Iceman tried his best to defend her, figuring the strange beings were merely mutant hunters. (Iceman v1 #1) Failing to retrieve Mirage, White Light and Idiot returned to Oblivion's realm to face his wrath. He then ordered his greatest warrior, Kali to do what his former servants were unable to accomplish. Locking in on Mirage's bounce-box, Kali travelled to Earth and ran into Iceman who by accident had also been taken back to the year 1942. During their battle, Iceman's father William Drake died. Since his father died years before he was conceived, Iceman ceased to exist and was relegated to oblivion, appearing in his realm. (Iceman v1 #2) Oblivion welcomed Iceman to his realm, telling the now non-existing young superhero he could finally rest and get the peace his soul craved. Oblivion revealed his true purpose in the universe and explained all about his 'daughter' Mirage. Finally, he offered to return Iceman's father back to life if Bobby would return Mirage to his realm. Fed up with paying the price for Mirage's fight with her 'father', Iceman decided to accept the terms of this deal. He was returned to Earth where he sought out and engaged Mirage in battle. After a brief fight, she decided to test her powers against Oblivion. She made her way back to his realm, accompanied by Iceman. (Iceman v1 #3) As Mirage rebelled against her father, Iceman felt he was being played by Oblivion and figured he was to blame for all this. Using all of his powers, Iceman pulled off a surprise attack on Oblivion, defeating his opponent with a giant landslide made of ice. However, seeing her father defeated made Mirage realize how much she loved him. She assumed his form, accepting to merge with Oblivion. As the two combined forms, Oblivion kept his promise where he revived Iceman's father and returned him and Bobby home as if nothing had happened. (Iceman v1 #4)
Maelstrom had actually perished but Oblivion recreated him to be his avatar. (Quasar v1 #25) Death and Oblivion confronted the Un-Being after his defeat at the hands of Quasar. The Un-Being had failed to kill the Origin but noted he at least had kept Quasar from sensing the arrival of Maelstrom through which Death and Oblivion hoped to claim the cosmos. (Quasar v1 #18) Now cosmically enhanced, Maelstrom managed to kill the cosmic entity Anomaly. He incorporated its abilities into himself. (Quasar v1 #20) Powered by Anomaly's might, Maelstrom sought an audience with Oblivion. He revealed his ultimate goal: collapsing the entire universe into a single anomalous point, which would shunt all of creation into Oblivion's domain. To achieve this feat, Maelstrom needed cosmic awareness. Oblivion advised Maelstrom that the easiest way was to kill the time being Eon, who he figured was the weakest of the time beings. (Quasar v1 #21)
Hoping to stop the universe from collapsing, Quasar's ghost travelled inside the black hole where he finally encountered Oblivion. However, Quasar learned that the entity had picked the spectral form of the recently deceased Maelstrom to serve as his avatar. Their non agression pact prevented Infinity and Oblivion from directly opposing each other, forcing the two entities to rely on agents to win the day. Equally matched, Quasar and Maelstrom's battle came to a standstill, which was fine for Maelstrom because the black hole kept drawing in more and more of the universe. Quasar suddenly recalled that when Origin had undone the Un-Being's deletion of his identity, she had caused his earlier costumes to cease to exist. He then adopted his old costume, proving to Maelstrom that he was also an anomaly. Beaten by Quasar's status as a rival anomaly, Maelstrom was consumed by the power of the Quantum Bands, having lost the concentration he needed to control the potentially destructive devices. With Maelstrom's death, the black hole ceased to exist. With the battle over, Infinity confronted Oblivion with the fact he'd broken their original pact, forcing them to establish another code of conduct with new terms. In order to finalize this agreement, Eternity and Death appeared so the four cornerstones of the universe could converse. (Quasar v1 #25)
In an effort to get Moondragon back, Drax and Phylla-Vell were 'killed' by Mentor which sent the pair into the realm of Oblivion. Once there, they faced Maelstrom who awakened the Dragon of the Moon which they battled with Wendell Vaughn returning to life to aid them. Phylla was swallowed by the Dragon only to be transformed into the new 'Avatar of Death' in exchange for freeing Moondragon with this being part of Oblivion's plan in the coming war. (Guardians of the Galaxy v2 #12)
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Oblivion resembled a cloaked robed figure whose body was covered in darkness. According to him, his true form was beyond this as he transcended corporeal understanding. (Iceman v1 #3) In some cases, he was known to appear as a gigantic cosmic serpent whilst in others he could take on a human guise. (G.O.D.S. v1 #3) He was also known as the Void, the End of Creation, and as the Nothing Which Watched the Birth of Everything. (Great Lakes Avengers v2 #3) Oblivion had also been referred to as being the Lord of Darkness. (GLX-Mas Special v1 #1)
Oblivion claimed that he could not help but wish for the end of everything as this was his nature and part of his very identity. (Mighty Thor Annual v1 #1) Oblivion stated that he predated the Multiverse and claimed he would exist when it ended. (Iceman v1 #3) He was sometimes said to represent the concept of death. (Guardians of the Galaxy v2 #11)
It was noted that he had watched the universe get born, struggle for life, die, and then get reborn multiple times. (Iceman v1 #4)
He was noted for having a tense rivalry with his sister Infinity. (Quasar v1 #25)
In the course of his existence, he desired companionship within his realm and had created numerous servants for this role. However, Oblivion still sought a special soul to whom he would have a personal connection beyond those of his servants. Thus, he forged 'Mirage who was his daughter made from the deepest pits of his infinite being. This fragment was a reflection of him but turned to be strong willed, independent and thus hard to control. (Iceman v1 #3)
Beings such as the Chaos King who sought to end existence were known to be an aspect of him. (Mighty Thor Annual v1 #1)
Oblivion was noted to hold tens of thousands of worshippers with the last known census listing 22,351 entities dedicated to him. Despite that, he was noted to not care for them nor grant them any favors or dispensations. (G.O.D.S. v1 #3)
Powers and abilities
It was noted that Oblivion was a conceptual and abstract being. (Quasar v1 #25) He was the One who embodied the concept of non-existence. (Iceman v1 #3) Oblivion was noted to had taken a humanoid form that was simply an illusion for the benefit of lower beings. This was because if they saw his true form then they would cease to exist as a result. (Mighty Thor Annual v1 #1)
It was shown that he had temporal powers but these were not without limit. (Iceman v1 #4) Oblivion can bring people back from non-existence, but he cannot pull people back from Death. (Iceman v1 #3)
He was noted as being the complete master of his realm and being the father of it. Within it, he created numerous servants and beings that served him. He himself could not enter the timestream and the world of form without triggering a cosmic catastrophe. (Iceman v1 #3)
He was shown to be able to empower agents or avatars with different amounts of power to act in his name. (Quasar v1 #25)
Oblivion was said to had resided within a pocket dimension known as the Outer Void. (Quasar v1 #21)
Notes
- Oblivion was created by J.M. DeMatteis and Alan Kupperberg where he made his first appearance in Iceman v1 #2 (February, 1985).
In other media
Video games
- In Marvel Battle Lines, Oblivion appeared as a playable card within the setting of the video card game.
Appearances
- Iceman v1: (1985)
- Quasar v1:
- Guardians of the Galaxy v2:
- Great Lake Avengers v2:
- Mighty Thor Annual v1:
- G.O.D.S. v1:
External Links
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